The Journey Continues
by Lin13
Summary: The incident of Shambala is in the past. Ed and Al are now in search of the man that poses the single largest threat to mankind. But they find themselves in something deeper than they ever could have imagined.
1. Prologue

Alright! I have decided to do a complete overhaul of this story! I really need the writing practice and it's been bugging me not playing with my OC any more. So here I am, starting over with more knowledge of the series under my belt and a little more experience. I hope everyone enjoys the story!

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**PROLOGUE**

Ed sat crouched in the cramped confines of a drafty ventilation shaft. The ancient metal fastenings groaned beneath his weight, but luckily for him it wasn't loud enough to draw the attention of the gathering of robed men clustered in the room beneath him. He carefully inched closer to wide crack where the floor met the wall, praying that it would hold out for him as he squinted through the glass lenses of the gasmask at the chanting men twelve feet beneath him. There were around fifty of them in all, dressed in hooded red robes standing in the center of a huge pentagram outlined on the stone floor in what appeared to be sheep's blood. At the head of the room was a raised pedestal with an altar and behind it was a young blonde girl in a thin white nightgown, each arm in the firm grasp of a large robed man.

"NON! NON! NON!" She cried as tears bubbled from her eyes and spilled down her round, pale cheeks. The carcass of the sheep whose blood had made the circle was placed on a pedestal and lit afire. All heads bowed as a wizened old figure in white hobbled forward and stood before the sacrificial flames.

"AND NOW," he announced in French, "NOW WE WILL TASTE THE FRUITS OF OUR MASTER! NOW WE SHALL PASS THE GATEWAY TO EVERLASTING LIFE! NOW WITH PURE BLOOD WE TOO SHALL BE PURE! NOW IS THE TIME WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! LET US CROSS OVER AND BE WHOLE AS NONE IN THIS STINKING PIT SHALL EVER BE! LET US SHED OUR SKINS OF HUMANITY AND BE FOREVER AS GODS!" The girl was brought up in front of the man where her wrists and ankles were bound to the altar. She pulled feebly against the coarse ropes, wailing in fear. The old man raised a knife and cut away her thin nightgown with one stroke so that she lay naked before the gathering.

"NOW WITH PURE BLOOD! WE TOO SHALL BE PURE!" He said again and raised the blade over his head. The girl screamed. Ed could take no more. He rolled and pulled his left leg to his chin. The muscles in his thigh clenched and he lashed out. He rolled again and fired his pistol through the hole in one fluid motion, the bullet blasted through the ringleader's hand. The old man shrieked and dropped the knife. The people below began yelling in confusion and scattered to various corners where they had left their belongings, including a variety of guns.

"WHERE DID IT COME FROM?"

"PERHAPS IT WAS A MESSAGE FROM OUR LORD!"

"SPREAD OUT AND FIND THEM!"

"THERE'S SOMEONE UP THERE!"

Ed clenched is teeth and cursed inwardly. He peered out of the hole and fired at the cult members but was unable to incapacitate any from the awkward angle. In answer, they began firing back. Holes began popping all around him as the people fired blindly. There was a faint 'chink' as one bullet hit his metal shoulder. Ed grunted and grabbed the opening with his right hand. He wrenched it open further until it was large enough for him to fit through. He grabbed a canister holstered to his leg and pulled the pin. A slow stream of gray mist began leaking from the small hole. He tossed this through the opening and aimed his gun at it. One careful shot and half the room was filled with the oily fog. He rolled through the opening after it and dropped twelve feet where he landed lightly on his left leg. People yelled and coughed, a few saw where he fell and began firing at Ed as he ran and dove behind a thick oaken desk.

"Okay Al, where are you?" He grumbled to himself, grabbing a handful of bullets from his pocket and jamming them into the cylinder. He took a deep breath and readied himself to peek over the desk but the shooting around him suddenly stopped.

"Come out boy." Came the wheezing voice of the leader.

"Let the girl go free and leave this place first!" Ed said calmly, cocking the pistol and holding it at ready.

"You have interrupted a sacred passage! Don't make your punishment any worse than it already is, you corrupt spawn of infidels!" The man's breathing was haggard and painful from a combination of the gunshot wound to his hand and the thick chemical smog. Ed grinned to himself and rolled to his knees. Ed only had one more canister with him, after he used this he would be forced to use his gun on these men. Ed pulled the pin and threw it over the desk. Gunshots fired and one bullet caused the canister to explode. There were cries of pain as splintered tin fragments hit flesh and coughs as another wave of gas filled the room.

"Anytime now Al." Ed grunted as the wood next to his cheek trembled and splintered with a new onslaught of bullets. But the gas was working. Only a dozen men remained conscious, the rest had fallen victim to the noxious knockout gas. Those still awake were carefully breathing through their sleeves as they fired at random. A door from across the room creaked open and a cylinder was rolled across the floor. It bumped the foot of one red-clothed man who jumped and fired at it on instinct. The canister exploded, sending the man flying. Ed took the distraction to dodge from the desk to the pedestal. It was pure luck that the girl hadn't been hit by a stray bullet. Ed grabbed a knife from his boot and sliced at her bindings. She was still conscious, but barely so. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as Ed slid her off the table and lay her on the floor out of range of the few sporadic gunshots that were still firing. It was only a few seconds longer until the gunfire ceased followed by the meaty sound of a body falling to the floor.

"How you doing, brother?" Al yelled from the doorway.

"It took you long enough!" Ed retorted.

"Sorry, I had a bit of a distraction." Al called out, peering through the door into the smoke filled room to make sure all the people were surely down.

"Noah followed you?" Ed demanded angrily.

"I couldn't stop her! Sorry!" Al yelled back.

"Ed! How could you not tell me you were doing this again? Are you just trying to get yourself killed?" A woman's voice growled from behind Al. Ed cringed and stood up.

"Everything was under control." He said, making his way through the litter of bodies. Noah snorted and slammed the door open. Her large brown eyes glared at him from behind her own gasmask.

"Control? You call that control? That was a disaster! What were you thinking? You almost died! And let me tell you something, I wouldn't have cried at all over you, you dim-witted kamikaze!" She opened her mouth to continue berating him when she noticed the girl lying naked beneath the altar. She let out a disgusted cry and ran to help her. Al walked into the room, scratching his neck guiltily.

"I'm sorry Ed, I couldn't get her to stay put." Al said. Ed grunted and nudged a still body with his toe.

"Well, let's see if Huskisson is here. Did you call the police?" Ed asked, sliding his gun into his belt.

"Not yet. I thought we should give ourselves plenty of time to check these guys." Al said, already pacing through the litter of unconscious bodies and flipping back their hoods, searching for the man who posessed the knowledge to harness Uranium. Ed glanced over to where Noah was trying to cover the naked girl with the remnants of her shredded nightgown. He could hear her soft murmurs of comfort through her heavy mask and felt his heart swell just a little bit. He loved her so much that he could barely keep it contained sometimes. They had been traveling together for nearly three years and he'd been trying to smother his feelings, but he couldn't deny it anymore. He was going to have to tell her how he felt and that was final. He was already planning ways to get her alone that night to confess to her when she looked up at him, her brown eyes furrowed in concentration. They softened as she looked at him and he could imagine her gentle smile beneath the bulky mask. That was it. Ed was going to tell her how he felt, no matter what. Noah reached out with her slender arm and motioned him to come to her.

"Give me your coat." She called. Ed smiled and walked towards her, carefully peeling his leather trench coat over his automail arm. Then came the sound of the gunshot that would haunt Edward for the rest of his life. Small bits of hair fluttered past his eye, chopped from the strands as the bullet whizzed past, barely centimeters from his head. Then Noah's eyes widened with shock as she looked down at the blood flowering from her left breast. A animalistic cry of rage filled Ed's ears as he turned around, his had already drawn the pistol tucked into his belt. One of the robed men smiled triumphantly from the floor, his eyes already glazed over as he slipped back into unconsciousness. Ed raised his gun and fired, his ears still ringing with a strange hoarse scream he didn't realize was his. He fired again, and again, and again. The man's numb body didn't so much as twitch as it was hit by the bullets. Edward emptied his gun into the man's body and continued cocking and firing long after his bullets had run out.

"BROTHER! HELP ME!" Al's cries snapped Ed back into focus. He turned to where Al was crouched with Noah pulled against his chest. Ed rushed to her side and pulled her gas mask off of her face as he took her from Al's arms. She was gasping for air, her lung gurgling as it filled with blood.

"What do we do?" Al asked in a timid voice. But even if Ed had heard him he couldn't have answered him.

"Noah, Noah, Noah, Noah," he chanted her name as he stroked her face. Tears were filling his eyes but he couldn't wipe them away. He angrily ripped his own mask off and chucked it over his shoulder where it disappeared with a clatter into the mirky fog. Noah smiled at him, her lips forming his name, but no sound came out. She reached up and touched his hair gently, then her hand fell limply to her chest as her heart lost the battle to continue beating and her eyes went black with death.

* * *

Ed's head popped up with a start. He glanced around in confusion before finally realizing what had woken him. Al sat across from him nodding at the newspaper he had just tossed into the older brother's lap. Ed sat up straight and rubbed the remains of sleep from his eyes. It had been two years since Noah had died. He had dealt with death before, but this one was different. The pain and the dreams just wouldn't fade at all. Ed sighed and skimmed over the small newsprint.

…nearly fifty American men and women by this time have been institutionalized…claims of hallucinations and an inexplicable fear of doors …nearly all have attempted suicide…abnormal ammounts of mercury and other chemicals found in their systems but the source is unknown...

"So what do you think about that?" Al asked, "It could be possible that Huskisson is trying to go back home."

"I say it's the best lead we've had in months, let's check it out." Ed said, stretching his arms above his head.

"We'd be going to America…" Al said cautiously, taking the newspaper back.

"Then let's go to America." Ed shrugged. Al raised an eyebrow at him and sighed.

"Let's go to America." He muttered and resumed reading the newspaper. Ed slouched back down until he was comfortable and stared out the window, watching the shadow of the train speed across flowers and trees below. As the plants blurred in his vision he heard once more the sound of the gunshot.

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Alright. I think I like this version of the first chapter much better. Please review! 


	2. New World

Alright, I'm going through and redoing this story, however the next few chapters probably won't be much different from how they were before. Let's see how far I make it!

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"I hate this country!" Ed groaned, wiping his left hand across his sweaty forehead. "I can't even breath because the air's so damned thick!" Al chuckled and handed a canteen over to him. 

"It's supposed to get less humid the further inland we go." Al said, lifting his own sweaty face to the hot, southern Carolina sun.

"It had better." Ed grumbled, glancing up the dirt road. There was a small dust cloud in the distance. He stood up and waved frantically at the oncoming car, but the dusty black ford chugged right passed them without slowing.

"I HATE THIS COUNTRY!" Ed screamed at the car, then sat down heavily onto his suitcase.

"Brother?" Al asked after a moment's silence.

"Hmm?" Ed glanced up with a quirked eyebrow. Al bit his lip before going on.

"Did we make the right decision by coming over here?"

"Of course we did!" Ed said, taking off the rimmed hat he was wearing and slapping the dust off.

"But what if this case isn't what we thought it was? We would have come all this way for nothing!"

"Even if all this has nothing to do with Huskisson, this practically screams of someone attempting alchemy. And the impression I got from that article is that someone has actually made it as far as the door. This could be another hotspot like the one in Munich." Ed said pointedly and flipped the hat between his hands.

"There were still a lot of hotspots across Europe!" Al said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. Ed shrugged.

"Those hotspots were all so old that if they haven't been used by now they never will. Fifty people popping up as insane is a good enough reason for me to come here." Ed plopped the hat back on his head and glanced up the road where another dust cloud had appeared along the horizon.

"What if we don't find him?" Al asked, "Do you think we'll ever go back to Europe?" Ed looked at him and blanched.

"And cross that damn ocean again? Hell no! At least not until I can fit into my clothes again. Besides, I can't quite explain it but I just…feel like he's here somewhere." Al couldn't help but smile. Ed hadn't fared the two-week crossing well. His clothes, which had fit perfectly before, now hung limp from his body making him look even smaller than normal. Al sighed sadly. He would definitely miss Europe. It had reminded him so much of home that he had almost come to concider it so. Al stood up and got ready to wave down the oncoming car.

"I'm going to trust your feeling for now, Brother. But if we die in this country without finding anything, I'm slamming your head in the door the second we get there."

* * *

Ed collapsed onto the hotel bed with a groan. He buried his face into the pillow but quickly pulled away, making a face at the smell and opting to lie on his back instead. A few seconds later he was asleep. Al gave a small snort of disgust and sat down on a spindly chair, pulling a locked bag onto his lap. Inside were the basic tools for a traveling con man. Or at least that's what he called it. A small, crank-powered engraver (which they invented themselves), a portable ink press complete with a leading set (which they invented themselves), and a paper sack filled with stale cookies (which Al threw at Ed). There were also a few small machines used to take electromagnetic readings, but Al pulled out the engraver and a half finished teardrop shaped badge. He cranked the engraver and the drill slowly purred to life. Back on the bed, Ed grumbled incoherently and began eating the cookies without opening his eyes. 

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to give me a hand with this type of stuff once in a while." Al growled, touching the drill bit to the metal and sculpting out the corner of a star. Ed opened his eyes and grinned.

"Sorry, I can't." He said waving his right hand. Al bit his lip and glared down at his tools. He knew that Ed's missing limbs weren't his fault and that Ed wasn't much bothered by them. But Al had always blamed himself in part for his brother's incomplete body. Especially at times like these when he was reminded of its limitations. Ed had easily managed to learn how to write with his left-hand, but even after years his handwriting was labored and cramped. The automail just wasn't designed for delicate work. Of course, Al was grateful to his brother for resurrecting him, but there was already so much for Ed to deal with without the inconvenience of his missing pieces.

"I'm sorry, Ed." Al mumbled. Ed sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't even start, Al. How many times do I have to tell you that I'm happy with the way things have turned out? Wanna cookie?" Ed asked holding one out in invitation. Al shook his had and continued to look forlorn. Ed gave an exasperated sigh and hoisted himself to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Al asked.

"Anywhere! You're depressing me!" Ed said, fishing through his pockets. "Have you got any money? I think I'll check on our subjects." Al reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. Ed took them from him and nodded in thanks as he left the room.

"Operator." A bored voice grated through the earpiece.

"Winslow Mental Institution in Burmingdale please." Ed said.

"One moment sir." the nasal voice droned and the line went silent.

"Hello?" A very different voice asked a few seconds later.

"Yes, is this Doctor Peterson?" Ed asked.

"Yes it is. May I asked who this is?"

"This is Private Investigator Elric. I contacted you two days ago about two patients at your institution." Ed said.

"Oh yes, yes. We expect you will be here tomorrow?" The doctor asked.

"I'm really hoping so, but my partner and I are a bit off-schedule. I might not make it until Thursday morning." Ed said, rumpling his hair. "Listen, doc. The reason I'm calling is to check up on the patients. Have they made any further recovery at all? Have they given you any more information?" There was a slight pause on the other end of the line.

"Unfortunately…one of the patients in question passed away this morning." Ed swore under his breath.

"How did it happen? Did he say anything before he died?" Ed asked as sympathetically as he could manage.

"I'm afraid the subject had quit speaking altogether the day before. He somehow managed to escape his room last night. His body was found outside. He apparently jumped through one of the fourth story windows."

"And what about the other man?"

"Oh, Mr. Dawson has made a lot of progress! His fiancée has visited him daily and his mind has definitely begun to stabilize, although he still hasn't said much about what has caused his lapse."

"That is very encouraging news, Doctor. Thank you very much. I will see you on Thursday." Ed said and hung up the phone before waiting for a response. Then he began his next call.

"Good news, really good news or bad news?" Ed asked, walking back into the room twenty minutes later, carrying two bowls of soup courteously of the elderly hotel owner.

"Bad news." Al said, putting down his tools and rubbing his eyes before accepting the proffered bowl of soup.

"There are only two patients left now. One in the Winslow and one in an asylum farther north," Ed said, sitting heavily on the bed. Al sighed.

"Good news," he said, ignoring his spoon and lifting the bowl to his lips.

"While the one in the asylum is nothing but a drooling monkey, the other is beginning to show signs of recover." Ed said. Al nodded.

"And the really good news?" Al asked. Ed grinned at him.

"You get the one that bites."

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Ed pulled out his shiny, new, one hundred percent fake Private Investigator's badge and flashed it at Dr. Peterson. 

"Edward Elric, P.I. We talked on the phone." He said formally.

"Ah, yes. I'm glad you made it sir!" Peterson said, shaking Ed's hand firmly. "And I'm sure you'll want to take a look at Mr. Dawson as soon as possible. He's waiting in the observation room. I thought it best to have his fiancée here, as he's more open with her around. She should be here shortly." The doctor said, waving Ed to follow him through a series of white corridors.

"Thank you," Ed said, glancing through the windows of the doors they passed.

"How many patients came to this institute with Mr. Dawson's symptoms?" Ed asked.

"Oh, all of them. Exactly fifty. It was quite a mess actually. We almost didn't have enough room to accommodate all of them. We had filed to transfer as many as we could to a mental hospital in Georgia, but within a week over half of them had found some means to…well. And now, a month later there are only two left altogether." Ed slipped his journal from his coat pocket and began taking notes.

"Where exactly were the people found?" Ed asked.

"That's the strangest thing. They were all safe in their homes. They just all started screaming at once around eight' o'clock in the morning. Their families have no recollection of them ever leaving at any point during the night, neither did anyone enter."

"That is strange," Ed said, tapping his pen against his lip. "Can you describe how they acted when they were discovered?" Ed asked, skirting around a nurse who was escorting a mumbling patient.

"Mostly they were scared shitless of doors. The police and ambulance workers could barely get them out of their homes. The rest I can't even pretend to explain. They were all filled to the brim with a cocktail of chemicals that should have killed them, yet they all survived and would have gone on surviving if they hadn't killed themselves. The police have verified that there's no possible connection between all of them, yet they have to be linked somehow for this to have happened. Right?" The doctor stopped at a door and unlocked it, motioning Ed to go through first. Ed stepped through and found himself in a small room with a door to his left and a wide window across one wall. He peered through this and found himself looking down into a white room containing a white bed, a white chair and a man in a white dressing gown whose dark hair stood out dramatically. The man was sitting on the bed with his face buried into his knees.

"That is Henry Dawson." The doctor said, standing beside Ed and nodding at the lone figure.

"Is there a file of any kind I can look at?" Ed asked. The doctor shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but all files are confidential."

"I understand." Ed said, turning his gaze back to Henry Dawson. A few minutes later there was a light knock on the door. Doctor Peterson excused himself to open it.

"Miss Mayer! Thank you for coming." He said warmly.

"Of course, Doctor," said a soft voice. Ed turned and his jaw dropped. Standing before him was a beautiful woman around his own age with silky black hair falling in waves halfway down her back and slanted cat eyes that were possibly even blacker. She wore no makeup save for a smear of bright red lipstick set perfectly against her marble white skin. Her navy-blue tailored dress suit hugged her perfect curves, illuminating the contrast of her narrow waist and a generous swell of hip and breast. Indeed, Edward Elric never thought he would be so surprised to see the dimensional double of Roy Mustang.

* * *

Ee hee hee. I'm so evil. No, neither Roy nor this girl has gone through a sex change. In the FMA movie Bradley's double said it was possible for him to be a girl on the other side, so I just decided to make it so for Roy. I can do that! I have absolute control! BWUAHHAHAHA! Okay, I don't. But it makes me feel special to think I do. If there is any confusion about what's going on in this chapter, don't worry, it will all make sense eventually! I hope. 


	3. New Faces

By the way, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way shape or form. Just thought I'd let you all know in case it was suspect.

Okay, this is the last one I'll be posting tonight.

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Ed recovered quickly from his initial shock and reached out to shake her hand.

"This is Private Investigator Elric. Sir, this is Miss Mayer." Dr. Peterson said, motioning between them.

"Call me Gwen. If there is anything I can do to assist your investigation, just let me know," Gwen said, her black eyes seeming to bore into his.

"Thank you very much." Ed said politely.

"Well, I have other things to attend to. I'll send someone in to supervise you," Peterson said and left the room.

"The doctor says there have been signs of improvement?" Ed asked. Gwen nodded and fiddled with a string of pearls around her neck.

"Yes. At first, Dewey couldn't even recognize me, he didn't seem to connect at all as though he were in another world. A few weeks ago he finally looked at me. I mean, really looked at me and actually saw me. That started a fit. He started crying and kept insisting that I was dead. Even now when I go down there I have to convince him each time that I'm real," Gwen said, stepping up to the window. There was a knock on the door and a woman in uniform stepped through. She smiled at both of them and unlocked the door to their left without saying a word. Gwen motioned Ed to follow her down the stairs and through another door bringing them right into Dawson's room. Dawson didn't look up when they entered; He remained in the middle of his little bed with his face pressed against his knees.

"Dewey?" Gwen asked softly, taking a few careful steps forward until she was standing directly in front of him. She squatted so she was at eye level and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Dawson froze and lifted his head. His black hair was greasy and unruly. His pale, gaunt face held traces of a once olive complexion and his hollow eyes were a brilliant shade of blue. Looking at him, Ed could tell that he had once been a very attractive man. He probably still was except that there was something in the air around him. Some kind of intangible energy that made him seem less than human, merely a shell.

"How are you doing today, Dewey?" Gwen asked, her voice low and gentle. Dawson's eyes immediately welled with tears. "Dewey, do you feel like talking today?"

"Why did you have to die?" Dawson sobbed and hid his face into his knees once more. Gwen threw an ironic glance at Edward and began murmuring to the broken man.

"Ssh. Dewey. I'm not dead! See? I'm right here!" Gwen lifted his face with one hand and placed one of his hands against her cheek with the other. Dawson froze at her touch, and then gradually began to trace the lines of her face. His bare feet fell to the floor and he wrapped his arms around Gwen's waist, burying his face into her neck.

"I was so afraid that I had lost you!" He sobbed. Gwen stroked his back and hair.

"I know, Hon. Don't worry, everything is all right." She murmured. She pulled away slightly so she could look into his face. "There is someone her to see you." Dawson looked over her shoulder and gave Ed a strange look, it was a look of mingled fear and blatant distaste. It threw Ed off for a second.

"Who is he?" Dawson asked, his voice low and monotone.

"This is Detective Elric." Gwen said, standing up and motioning for Ed to come forward. Ed held out a hand and Dawson immediately shrank away.

"IT'S NOT RIGHT!" Dawson screeched and pulled his feet back onto the bed.

"Oh no." Gwen muttered and sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his quivering shoulders. Dawson jumped and his head shot up to see who was touching him. When he realized it was Gwen a fresh wave of tears started spilling from his eyes.

"Why did you have to die?" he asked. Gwen heaved a frustrated sigh and pulled his face to her shoulder.

"I don't know how much information you're going to be able to get out of him." She said to Ed.

"I'll take what I can get." Ed said with a shrug, sitting down in the chair across from the bed.

"Mr. Dawson?" Ed asked softly. "Tell me about the door." Dawson's whimpering ceased and his eyes shot open.

"The eye!" Dawson whispered, staring off into space.

"Was this the door that you saw?" Ed asked, reaching into his pocket and unfolding a piece of paper. On it, Al had drawn a detailed sketch of the door of Truth. Al had spent a lot of time with Alex Armstrong over the years and quite a bit of his artistic talent had rubbed off on him. The drawing was a near perfect representation. Ed held the paper up and Dawson quickly shut his eyes.

"Dewey, please look at it and answer his questions." Gwen prompted, touching his face. With a bit more prodding, he finally opened his eyes. It only took a glimpse, and the man's eyes bugged and rolled wildly, making him look even less human than before. He began screaming and thrashing, trying to get away from Gwen who was keeping a fierce hold on his shoulders. Ed jumped to his feet and lunged forward, trying his best to help Gwen calm him down. But this only caused Dawson to struggle more. The man's body had looked withered and frail, but a well-aimed foot to the stomach sent Ed flying half way across the room. Dawson lashed out and punched Gwen square in the jaw, causing her grip to loosen and he scrambled over the walls where he began clawing for an escape.

"Miss Mayer! Detective! Are you two all right?" The nurse in the observation room demanded over a crackling intercom. "I'm going to send for someone right away! Just stay where you-"

"No! Don't worry about it! We'll be fine!" Gwen interrupted, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth. She walked over to where Ed lay gasping and offered him a hand. "Are you alright?" She asked, having to practically yell to be heard above Dawson's incomprehensible screeching.

"Fine." Ed wheezed, taking her hand and climbing to his feet.

"I can't believe that picture had this affect on him. What is that door?" Gwen asked, nodding at the now crumpled paper on the floor.

"It's from a case similar to his where people have seen that door." Ed hollered.

"So does that mean you know what happened to him?" Gwen demanded.

"Not quite." Ed said, shaking his head. Gwen's face tightened at his response and she walked over to Dawson. A few minutes later she had him calmed down enough to be lead back to the bed. Ed sat down on the chair and kept a cautious eye on Dawson who was still whimpering softly into Gwen's shoulder.

"Gwen, when was the last time you saw him before…the incident?" Ed asked.

"Um…just the evening before he was found. He had proposed to me a few days before that and he was going to go speak to my father," Gwen said. She sounded very much as though she had been asked this question a lot.

"And where was this?" Ed asked, taking out his journal.

"We all work together at the Center Street Military Unit. It was there, just as he was getting off duty."

"You work for the military?" Ed blurted before he could stop himself.

"Yes. Officially I'm the Secretary for my father who is one of the chief chemical engineers. Unofficially I'm a combat instructor for the soldiers." Gwen said with a nod. Ed coughed.

"Alright, and he was going to see your father at work?" Ed asked.

"No, my dad had already gone home for the day." Gwen said.

"And when did your father see him last?"

"He didn't! I stopped by that night and my father said he hadn't seen him at all that day. I went to Dewey's apartment, but he wasn't there either. I went to sleep and when I woke up he was lying right next to me as though nothing had happened. But when I tried to wake him up he went into a fit!" Ed grunted and glanced over at Dawson who had only just started breathing normally.

"Mr. Dawson?" Ed asked quietly. There was no response. "Dewey?" Ed asked again. Dawson's eyes locked on his.

"Dewey, did someone take you to the door?" Ed asked. Dawson's eyes glinted coldly and he nodded once.

"What were they doing at the door, Dewey?" Ed asked. Dawson just stared at him blankly.

"Dewey, please tell me. Do you know what they were doing?" Slowly, Dawson began shaking his head.

"Where were you when you saw the door? Do you know?" Again, Dawson began shaking his head.

"Could you recognize any of the people who took you there?" Dawson's glare hardened even further and he nodded.

"Who was it that took you to the door?" Ed whispered. Dawson growled softly.

"It was one of you." He hissed. He turned his eyes to Gwen's face and whispered. "It's not right! Why did you have to die?"

* * *

Gwen sighed and followed Ed through the door and into the street. She looked exhausted as she rubbed her temples and tucked a loose strand of ebony hair behind her ear

"So, what did all of that mean to you, if you don't mind my asking." Gwen said, walking over to the curb.

"Not much." Ed lied. Gwen stared at him long and hard for a moment, then lifted her hand and hailed a taxi.

"I understand if the information is confidential, but please don't lie to me. I hate being lied to. I hope to see you again soon, _Detective._" Ed lifted an eyebrow at her emphasis on the word '_Detective_' and watched her climb into a cab and disappear around a corner. When Ed got back to his hotel, he found a surly Al waiting for him.

"I didn't think you would be back so soon!" Ed said. Al glared at him.

"What did you expect me to do? Have a lengthy conversation with that guy over tea and cupcakes?" Al demanded.

"That or at least cocoa and doughnuts." Ed shrugged. "But I'm guessing it didn't go all to well?" Al jumped to his feet and held out a bandaged left hand.

"YOU WERE RIGHT, HE BITES!" Al yelled. Ed stared at the bandage for a moment and began laughing. "Don't laugh, you bastard! They had to give me a tetanus shot and everything!" Al said, punching Ed in the shoulder with his good hand. Ed laughed him off and unbuttoned his vest.

"Does this make you feel better?" He asked, pulling up the hem of his linen shirt so Al could see the large beginnings of a bruise across his stomach. Al glared at the bruise for a second before sitting on the bed in a huff.

"A little." He said. Ed let his shirt fall back into place and started rooting through a bag for something to eat.

"Did you manage to find out anything from the guy besides how many teeth he has?" Ed asked, pulling out a small loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese. Al snorted.

"Yeah, he hates my guts. He took one look at me and tried to kill me. I'm lucky to get away with just this." Al said, waving his injured hand.

"So I guess he didn't talk much." Ed sighed, cutting the bread and handing a slice to Al.

"Oh, he was very conversational! He kept screaming 'It's not right! It's not right!' the whole time he was trying to pummel my brains in." Al said taking the bread and some cheese. Ed frowned.

"My guy said that to me too! Or about me, I'm not entirely sure what he was talking about." Ed said taking a hefty bite from his makeshift sandwich. "But I was able to verify that it is the door that they saw. Now we've just got to figure out what it all means. And who did this to them. You're coming with me tomorrow to a military base in the city. Dawson used to work there and we'll try tracing his steps. I'll even introduce you to a very interesting girl I met today. I think you'll get a kick out of it!"

* * *

heh, who wouldn't get a kick out of seeing Roy as a girl? Please review. 


	4. early morning

Thanks everyone for your reviews.

* * *

Ed sat up straight in bed, the sound of a gunshot still echoing inside his head. He wiped a shaky hand across his eyes, trying to shove away Noah's stony face and turned to Al's bed. It was empty. No doubt Al had gone for a walk, neither of them tended to sleep well. Ed sighed and fell backwards onto his pillow, wiping at the beads of sweat on his forehead with his flesh hand. _When are these dreams going to end? _He asked silently. He didn't quite know whom he was asking, but he was willing to take an answer from just about anyone right now. Unable to go back to sleep he hoisted himself out of bed and threw on some clothes in the dark.

The cool pre-dawn air was a relief as it cleared his head. Ed closed his eyes and took a deep breath of it. When he opened them he found Al on the sidewalk just outside the hotel. He was standing, staring at the sky. The streetlamps around them blocked any view of the stars, but the moon shone round and bright as a silver dollar above their heads. Al turned to his brother at the sound of his footsteps. Ed shifted his coat a little on his shoulders and nodded up the street.

"Wanna get started?" He asked. Al glanced down at his feet for a moment and nodded. They managed to find the military compound easily in the dark. Ed held his breath when they rounded a corner and it came into view, half expecting to see the monstrous white building displaying King Bradley's Banner. But it was nothing like the large, heavily guarded Central base. He probably wouldn't have been able to point it out from the other surrounding structures if it weren't for the fact that there was a sign above the door.

"Now what?" Al sighed. Ed pulled a small city map from his pocket and scanned over it.

"She said he was heading to her father's house the last she saw him. There's an apartment complex just a couple blocks away, Mayer most likely lives there. If not then we just have to wait until the compound opens in a few hours and ask for directions to his place." Ed said, tucking the map back into his pocket. They wordlessly started down the street. The buildings around them weren't particularly interesting or suspicious. There were no dark alleys to be dragged away down nor were there a lack of witnesses. They passed nearly a dozen homeless people slumbering on various stoops as they walked. They woke a few and questioned them if they were coherent, offering a few coins in payment but none they met had seen anything out of the ordinary a month before.

The sun was beginning to rise when they found the military housing. Ed slid a finger down the apartment listings and found three different people named Mayer. One was Gwen, one was James and the other was Bethany. Ed had guessed that Bethany could be ruled out as Gwen's father. After another half hour of peering at door numbers in the dim morning light they managed to find James Mayer's. To their surprise there was a light on inside. They quirked an eyebrow at each other and Al rapped audibly on the door. There was a bit of shuffling from the other side and the door opened. A man peered out at them curiously. He was fully dressed and clean-shaven; his black and silver-streaked hair was perfectly parted and combed.

"Can I help you?" he asked, smiling warmly as though five in the morning were a completely respectable time to receive visitors.

"We're very sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, but are you James Mayer? The Chemical Engineer for the military?" Ed asked politely. He could already tell that this man was Gwen's father. They didn't particularly look anything alike, but the black, piercing eyes staring at him were a near perfect match of hers.

"I am." James said, nodding.

"We are detectives Elric and Elric. We have been hired to investigate the circumstances of Mr. Dawson's current condition. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" Ed asked.

"Oh, of course of course. Come on in." James stepped backwards and allowed them through. The apartment consisted of a kitchen/dining room, a bathroom and a bedroom. There were a number of research papers scattered on a card table in the center of the room. James picked these ups and shuffled them into some semblance of order before tossing them onto the counter and motioning Ed and Al to take a seat on a few folding chairs.

"Again, we're sorry to barge in so early in the morning." Al said.

"Oh, it's no problem. I've been awake for a few hours now. Trust me, the interruption is welcome. Would you like some coffee?" James asked, walking over to a kettle on the stove without waiting for an answer.

"What we would really like is to ask you about the last time you saw Mr. Dawson." Ed said. James sighed and turned on the faucet.

"A real pity what happened to that boy. Nearly tore my little girl apart. And me as well, I had known him for some time and he was one of the good ones." James lit the stove, placed the kettle on it and came to sit down next to the brothers. "I understand you've already spoken to Gwen. She said that she had met a detective named Elric at the hospital?" James quirked an eyebrow at both of them. Ed lifted a hand slightly.

"Yeah, that was me." He said. James nodded and pursed his lips.

"I tell you, this whole mess has been one of the strangest things I've ever come into contact with. I saw Dewie just earlier that day and he was perfectly fine, if a bit jittery, but from what Gwen says he was going to talk to me about I can understand that." James fiddled absently with his earlobe, staring down at the green tabletop.

"Did you happen to know any of the other victims?" Ed asked, taking out his journal. James pursed his lips and shook his head.

"Nope. There was no link whatsoever between any of them and our Dewie. I even mapped out their different locations, but they're scattered around the city and surrounding country in no semblance of order. I don't think anybody could piece this puzzle together. But I do wish you luck." James titled his head towards them. There was a high-pitched whistling from the kettle and James immediately went to finish making the coffee.

"You have a map of their locations?" Al asked, "Could you show this to us perhaps? We haven't been able to access any of the other victim's records without a warrant. This would be a big help to our investigation."

"Of course. Anything I can do!" James said, pouring a measure of grounds into the pot. "Hold on for just a moment. I'll fetch it for you." With that he disappeared into the bedroom. No sooner had he vanished, Gwen burst into the room carrying a garment bag.

"Daddy! If you didn't get any sleep last night I swear I'm going to start drugging you-oh! I'm sorry!" She said, staring at the two brothers. "Um…I didn't expect to see you again so soon Mr. Elric!" Ed stood respectfully and inclined a head towards her.

"May I introduce my brother, Alphonse?" Ed said motioning a hand at Al who was staring blatantly at Gwen with his mouth slightly agape. Ed tapped Al's chin and that managed to snap him back to reality. He stood up and held a hand out to her.

"I'm sorry to stare, you just look a lot like an old acquaintance of ours," Al said, grinning lopsidedly. Gwen shook his hand warmly.

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," She said with a smile.

"Don't. He was our boss," Ed said grinning. Gwen stared at him for a moment then burst into laughter.

"I like you," She said, waggling a finger at him.

"Ah, Gwen, you're here early!" James said, coming out of the room with a folded piece of paper in hand.

"Um, yeah. I need to use your shower. The plumbing is being replaced on my side of the building," She said holding up her garment bag and pulling a white bottle from one of its pockets. "And I need to get some more medicine today."

"Hmm, has it been two months already? Alright. Go ahead and I'll refill it for you." James said, taking the bottle from her. Gwen excused herself and disappeared into the bathroom. James unfolded the paper and spread it out on the table.

"The city is divided into quadrants. There were twelve of these cases in the Southern quadrant, twenty-three in the Eastern, two in the Northern and thirteen in the Western." James said, waving his hands over each section of red circles in turn. "None of the people had anything in common. They were of ages ranging from nineteen to sixty-five, all were of different social class and ethnicity, they weren't linked by occupation or religion or anything else I've been able to think of. The only thing similar between them is that they lived in this city and they breathed air."

Ed and Al leaned over the map and studied it closely. James was right. At a glance there was nothing special about the locations of the victims.

"The military compound," Ed murmured, pointing at the labeled square. "It's in the very center of the city."

"Yes. The city was sort of built around it," James said, nodding.

"I think I would like to start there," Ed said, sitting up straight.

"You wouldn't think the military is involved in this, would you?" James asked with a small smile.

"I was a soldier for several years and wouldn't doubt for a second that there's a chance they're involved," Ed said, leaning back casually.

"I assure you that Dewie was the only victim with any sort of link to the military," James said, studying Ed's face.

"Well, then it's still a good a place as any to start. I'll be damned if I know what else to do." Ed said, rubbing his nose absently. Al was still staring at the map fiercly, but sat back with a sigh.

"Could we borrow this?" Al asked, tapping the map.

"I'll do you one better, you can keep it. I have no use for it anymore," James said.

"Well then, we thank you for your help," Ed said, standing up.

"Are you going so soon? Why not stay for breakfast?" James asked, looking dramatically offended.

"We wouldn't want to impose…" Al said, standing up as well.

"Nonsense, nonsense. Sit down. You haven't even had your coffee yet! And afterwards I will escort you to the compound myself," James said. Ed and Al exchanged a glance. "And Gwen is one of the best cooks in the city." Ed sat down immediately. After serving coffee to the men, James picked up the white pill bottle and excused himself, disappearing once more into the apartment's bedroom. Ed and Al leaned once more over the map and began tracing non-existent lines between the red circles.

"I was hoping for some sort of array from the formation of the locations, but it's all so sporadic. No matter what angle you turn this thing, it doesn't make sense." Ed whispered, tilting his head. Al grunted and spun the map a few degrees. After another moment of silence, Ed clapped his hands together and placed them on the map. Nothing happened.

"Well, it was worth a try." He said, shrugging sheepishly. Gwen came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, fully groomed and dressed with her damp hair piled on her head and pinned in a bun.

"Have you made any progress?" She asked conversationally, walking over the stove.

"Not as much as we would have hoped for," Ed said, frowning at the map. Gwen made a small, noncommittal noise in her throat and began cracking eggs into a bowl. James came out of his bedroom and jiggled the bottle of pills at her. She took it from him hastily and swallowed a small, red capsule without water.

Ten minutes of casual conversation later, a hearty breakfast of eggs, ham and pancakes were set down in front of everyone. Ed constrained himself from wolfing the whole lot of it down and attempted to keep an agonizingly slow pace with Al.

"So how often do you go and visit Mr. Dawson?" Ed asked.

"Nearly every day if I get the chance," Gwen said, taking his mug and refilling it.

"Has he made any more progress?" James asked curiously.

"Quite a bit actually. He's been talking a lot more. Edward managed to get a reaction from him yesterday that links him to another case." Gwen said, spearing some eggs with her fork and biting them delicately.

"Is that so? How wonderful." James beamed. "So you'll be able to find the source soon I gather?"

"I'm afraid not. There have been several incidents like this and the proprietor of each has died or is in prison. This is a whole new villain altogether." Al said shaking his head. James stared at him hard.

"You mean it's a person responsible for this?" James asked.

"We're afraid so," Ed said, nodding. "But don't worry. We'll find him," He said, turning to Gwen.

"You say a person is responsible for this…how very unfortunate," James said softly, tapping his spoon against his chin. He glanced at his watch and stood up.

"If you're done with your breakfasts please follow me. I'll show you around the military base."

* * *

Please remember to review. Also, I did a drawing of Gwen Mayer. You'll find a link for it on my profile page. 


	5. Then that evening

Sooo…..tired!

* * *

The investigation of the military compound was, in a word, unfruitful. The soldiers on duty were kind and eager to offer any assistance necessary. Apparently Mr. Henry "Dewey" Dawson had been a very popular fellow. However, nobody was any kind of real help to them. The accounts of Dewey's last day were often blurred and exaggerated by rumors and egos. Each one wanted a little more attention. Each wanted to seem a little more important. And thus disgruntled from a wasted day, Ed and AL began the walk back to their small hotel room.

"Do you think we're ever going to figure this one out?" Al asked, stretching his hands behind his head.

"Aw come on! We've only been into this investigation for two days! How can you be giving up already?" Ed said, glancing up an alley as they passed. Al bit his lips and glanced at his brother out the corner of his eye.

"Do you ever think it _is_ time to give up?" Al asked cautiously. Ed stopped abruptly.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Al stopped as well and kept his gaze fixed steadily on his brown leather shoes.

"I mean...what if we stopped searching?" Al asked, trying to keep his voice light. Ed glared at his back, saying nothing. Al hesitated and turned to face him.

"I don't like living like this." Al said simply. "It was my dream for two years to find you and start a life fresh from where my memories collide. But now! I'm an adult, Ed! I want to settle down sometime. Find a woman to love and maybe have a few kids to pass the Elric name on to. Don't you ever get tired of doing nothing but search for something that's never within reach?" Ed stared coldly at the ground allowing the words to sink in. He grunted and glanced up.

"How long have you felt this way?" Ed asked.

"I don't know. A while now I guess." Al said shrugging.

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because…I didn't want to be separated from you again. I didn't want you running around doing this stuff alone. Things like that." Al said awkwardly.

"And all that stuff you said…that's really what you want?" Ed asked softly.

"Yes." Al said. Ed pursed his lips.

"To tell you the truth…I want all that too." He murmured. He kept Al's eyes in his own for a moment, gazing into the gray-hazel orbs. It struck him how much of a change his little brother had gone through. The eyes used to be filled with innocence and joy for life. But now they were steely and unreadable, much like his own. Ed felt a small twinge of guilt when looking into them. It was his own influence that had caused such eyes. But there was no way to turn back time. They were stuck in the current of their quest. One of them could leave it…but it couldn't be abandoned completely. Ed sighed and began walking again, motioning Al to do the same.

"I'm sorry." Ed said. Al only nodded. "Al, I can't stop doing this." He muttered.

"Why not?" Al demanded.

"Who else will if I don't? Think of what Huskisson can do with his power if we don't stop him. Plus if anybody tries to make more portals to Amestris…" Ed grunted.

"Ed, you can't be the hero all the time! Mustang said he was going to destroy any such portals on his side! Let's just allow him to finish it! And how can we even know that Huskisson made it here" Ed shook his head.

"Oh, he made it here alright. And we can't trust what's happening on that side. Who knows what state the government is in?" Ed attempted to give Al a wry smile, "Besides, did you ever really expect me to be the settling down type?" Al frowned and shook his head in distaste. Ed sighed.

"Al, please. Just help me figure out what's going on here. Then you can have any life you want, but I have to keep looking for that guy."

"Brother, I…" Whatever he was going to say was cut off by an agonized scream from an alley fifty feet in front of them. A man stumbled into the street. Car tires screeched and there was a terrified scream from a pedestrian as the car hit the man. His body was sucked under the tires with a horrible, meaty crunch. Ed and Al ran forward. The man still lay beneath the car, gasping in strangled gurgles. His eyes were wide with fear and pain. The brothers scrambled to dress his wounds and keep him still as others ran for help, but within two minutes the man was gone.

The driver of the car ran a few feet away and vomited loudly. Ed also felt a bit queasy, but it was strange. Despite the gruesomness of the death, he was calloused to such things. This wasn't a nausea brought on by shock. Something was physically affecting him. He looked at the man closely. He was obviously a vagrant. He reeked of sweat and garbage and his clothes were barely held together by dirt. But there was something off-setting about his smell. Some undertone that was both chemical and familiar. Ed touched Al's arm and walked into the alley. The building to their right was an old Butcher's shop, but the one on the left was abandoned and boarded up.

"What's wrong?" Al asked, watching Ed quizzically.

"There was something abnormal about all that." Ed said peering behind a dumpster. What he saw froze his insides for a moment. He waved at Al to come closer. Al looked over Ed's shoulder at the red puddle and frowned.

"Is that blood?" He asked.

"No. It's red water." Ed said, sniffing carefully. There it was. The strange, sweet chemical smell. "Don't get too close! It will make you sick." He warned, grabbing Al's jacket as he bent to take a closer look. Al straightened and looked around.

"Where did it come from?" He asked. Ed walked over to the side door of the dilapidated building. He tested it with his right hand and the door groaned meekly under the pressure. With a good shove the rusty metal lock on the other side snapped and the door swung open. Ed quirked an eyebrow at Al and stepped inside. There was no light except the faint beams that peeked through the seams in the boards. There was a flurry above head and the disturbed cooing of pigeons. There was a reek around them of dust, mold and birds. Al wrinkled his nose and followed Ed into the building.

"Do you think the red water came from in here?" Al whispered.

"There's only one way to find out. Let's run back to the hotel for our bags and-" There was a strained groan from the floorboards followed quickly by a loud crack as the rotted beams snapped. Both men tried to jump back through the door but the floor fell away beneath their feet sending them hurtling into the dark.

Ed sat up with a groan and rubbed tenderly at the back of his neck. Dust was filtering into his lungs and the sharp edge of a board dug fiercely into his arm. He felt something warm and wet trickle down his wrist. Ed grabbed he board with a groan and threw it away distastefully.

"Al…(cough)…are you alright?" Ed asked, rolling onto his knees and feeling around blindly.

"Yeah." Al grunted a few feet away. "Wow. Should have expected that to happen!"

"No shit." Ed growled, hoisting himself to his feet. Something in his left ankle whirred oddly and Ed muttered out a few expletives, most of them made up and several in different languages.

"You okay?" Al asked, feeling his way in the pitch black.

"Yes, I'm fine! Would you mind letting go of my ankle?" Ed grumbled, tapping his left toe cautiously against the ground a few times.

"…Ed. I'm not touching you." Al said. Ed froze for a second, listening hard into the dark. There were no sounds other than his and Al's breathing, but whatever was wrapped around his ankle moved. Ed jumped back with a startled cry. He reached hastily into his pocket and yanked out a small box of matches.

"Ed! What is it?" Al cried.

"I don't know! I don't know!" Ed said shrilly, fumbling with the box. He managed to pull one out but the match snapped between the fingers of his right hand. He cried in frustration and scrabbled for another. Something grabbed his arm. Ed jumped and swung his other arm around in defense. Whatever it was caught his fist with a faint grunt.

"It's me! Hurry! Give me the matches!" Al said, feeling around in the dark. After what seemed an eternity they managed to get a match lit. The light it gave off was piddle to none but it was a small comfort. The men glanced quickly around but could barely see anything.

"It might have just been-GAH! WHAT WAS THAT?" Ed cried, grabbing Al's shirt.

"WHAT? WHAT?" Al squeaked, whirling around frantically. The match burnt down to his fingers and went out with his startled cry.

"Here!" Ed fumbled with the pocket of his coat until he found a small bottle. He squirted the priming oil for his automail around on the ground. It fell on the still hot match causing a sudden flare of yellow flames. Ed and Al blinked in the dazzling light, but they were very much alone in the small basement room. Ed looked down at the ground and chuckled. An old sleeve of a sweater protruded from the mass of wood and dust. Ed yanked it out and waved it at Al.

"I caught my foot in this." He said sheepishly, holding it up and inspecting it. "Well, let's see if it can redeem itself for being such a nuisance." Ed muttered, ripping the sweater in half. He wrapped it around a chunk of wood and squirted the remainder of his oil on it. After lighting it and stamping out the small fire on the floor they wandered around the small room. It was filled with forgotten junk; old iron bed frames and broken desks. Ed imagined that the building had once been an old hospital or school of some sort.

"I found a way out!" Al said from the opposite side of the room. He grunted and shoved an old tin custodial cabinet. It grated on the dusty floor and behind it was a warped white door. Al twisted the knob and shoved against it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Here, let me try." Ed said, stepping forward and handing the makeshift torch to Al. Al took a step back and held the light high. Ed tested the door with his right hand but it was stuck tight. He lifted up his leg and kicked it. The door splintered and groaned. Ed put his shoulder to it and pushed, moaning softly from the strain. The door slid slightly. Ed took a step back and ran at the door, throwing his weight against it. The door gave way and collapsed. Ed, unable to keep his balance, collapsed with it. A cloud of dust puffed up on either side of him invading his eyes. He sat up and coughed, rubbing at his face with his sleeve.

"Ed!" Al said softly. Ed opened his eyes and glanced around. They were in a large room and in its center was a circle of candlesticks. All of them lit. The brothers glanced at each other. Ed climbed to his feet and they both walked forward. There was an array drawn on the ground. It was a perfect matrix. It was one that Ed had seen before. It was one to create the Sorcerer's stone.

"We found it!" Al said softly, taking a few steps closer to it. Ed sighed and shook his head.

"No. We didn't." He said. Al frowned at him

"What do you mean?"

"It's a decoy." Ed said, bending down and wiping a finger across the somewhat fresh chalk line. "There aren't any odd electromagnetic forces here. At least not anything strong enough make this active. If it were you'd be able to feel it in the air."

"Maybe they didn't know that when they drew it." Al said, shrugging.

"No. Whoever drew this knew exactly what they were doing." Ed said holding up a finger and tracing the outline of the seven pointed array in the air. "I should have seen it when we found the red water in the alley. It couldn't have been spilt from a month ago. It would have been washed away by the rain or evaporated in the sun by now. It was placed there to lure us in. Whoever is behind this knows we're here." Ed dropped his hand with a sigh and looked around the room.

"There's some stairs over there. Let's call it a day." He said jabbing a thumb to his right. Al nodded and followed him out of the building.

* * *

They had barely walked through the door of the hotel when a young woman they knew as a maid rushed towards them waving a towel frantically in case her nasally voice didn't catch their attention.

"Sirs! There's an urgent message for you from a doctor! He said you must get to Winslow Mental Institution as soon as possible!" She said. Ed and Al glanced at each other and ran from the building. The mental institution was twelve blocks away and they managed to reach it within ten minutes. They burst through the doors, gasping and sweating and found themselves face to face with a surprised nurse who glanced at their dust (and in Ed's case, blood) smeared bodies distastefully.

"If you don't have an appointment I'm going to ask you to leave!" She said loudly. Ed fumbled in his pocket between gasps and pulled out his badge.

"I'm…detective…Elric…to see…Doctor Pet…Peterson." Ed gasped. The nurse's eyes widened slightly and her nostrils pinched in disgust.

"Oh yes. Follow me." She said whirling huffily on her white pumps and walking stiffly down the hall. Ed and Al followed her broad, uniformed back up a flight of stairs, through several dramatically long hallways and then down two flights of stairs. The nurse unlocked a rather thick double door and held it open for them. The brother's nodded their thanks to her and stepped inside. Dewey was laid out on a cold table covered from the ribs down with a white sheet. His glazed eyes were fixed upward, peaceful and distant. His face was relaxed making him look like the man he once was. Ed sighed and shook his head. He had rather hoped Dewey wouldn't end up like this; being prodded by several doctors in the basement morgue. Doctor Peterson glanced up and started slightly at the sight of Ed and Al.

"Oh! Detective Elric! I was hoping I would have a chance to speak with you before you saw." He said apologetically, scurrying around the table. Ed rubbed his neck and nodded towards Al.

"This is my brother, Al." He said in introduction, eyes still fixed on Dewey's body.

"I would like to say it's nice to meet you Mr. Elric, but under the circumstances…" The doctor said bowing his head slightly. Al nodded.

"How did it happen?" Ed asked.

"It was a stroke." The doctor said, shaking his head mournfully. "And such a shame. He was making wonderful progress. I was really hoping he would pull out of it. It's going to rip me apart to tell Miss Mayer about it…" As though on cue the doors burst open and Gwen stormed in, her eyes positively blazing with emotion. She froze and stared at the cold body, her mouth opened slightly. For a moment she did nothing but stare. Then she let out a small, choked cry and stumbled towards the table. The other two doctors stepped away and began putting away their instruments. Doctor Peterson pursed his lips awkwardly and moved to take a step towards Gwen. Ed stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe it would be better if you let us handle this." Al whispered. The doctor looked relieved and left the room with a slight nod of thanks. The other two doctors remained in the room, but seemed engrossed with their notes on a clipboard. Al walked over to Gwen who was leaning over Dewey, gently stroking his clammy cheek. Her eyes were filled with tears, but she wasn't crying. She just looked pitifully lost. Al placed a hand on her shoulder. She sniffled and grasped his fingers gratefully with one hand.

"I guess I…I guess I knew this was going to happen." She said hoarsely, her hand trailing down and resting on Dewey's chest. Her bottom lip quivered and she bit it hard to keep it in line. Al rubbed her shoulder gently. Gwen turned to him and buried her face into his shoulder. He seemed slightly surprised by this, but wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair as her body quivered trying to keep her emotions repressed. Ed sighed and stepped forward. He took the loose end of the white sheet and began unfolding it to pull over Dewey's face.

"Wait!" Gwen said suddenly, lifting her head from Al's shoulder. She pulled from his arms and leaned over Dewey's midsection which was still mostly covered with the sheet. However, when Ed was handling it it had slipped away a little. Peeking beneath the white linen was a small red mark just beneath his ribcage. Gwen frowned and touched this, then slowly pulled the sheet back. Staring back at them was the scarred tissue of an array burned into his flesh. And in it's center was a slitted eye.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please remember to review! 


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